Massaging my van's EFI 5.8. Thoughts?
 

I am looking for input on some good performance increases for a EFI 5.8. This is a 1993 E350 4x4 van which I currently have the body removed from. I'll be installing the body from my 1994 E150, though I figured that this would be an excellent time to make a few performance improvements to the existing engine. It is a non-roller with about 75k original miles. After I swap the bodies, I'll keep the roller 5.8 from my E150 with the plan of building that into a higher power engine, but that will be a longer-term project (next several years). I would like to make some sensible modifications to the factory E350 engine to keep me happy for the time being.

Any recommendations on a good performance flat-tappet cam, or should I determine what exactly I'll do with the heads before making a choice on a cam? As far as heads, I am not really sure what to do. I am not looking to spend a ton of money, though I would like to gain some usable torque. Look for a set of used gt40 heads?

Should I consider any changes to the stock intake? I have almost no room above the stock intake, so I need to keep the same dimensions which may limit any aftermarket choices. I can do any match porting, but would extrude-honing be worth the time and money, or is there even any need to mess with the intake?

I plan to replace the entire exhaust system, though much of it will likely need to be custom made. The EGR adds quite a bit of mess and complication to the existing system, so I am considering deleting it. I understand what is needed to remove this, but will this cause any other performance issues?

Anything else that I should consider or be aware of?


Here is a view of the exhaust mess:
http://www.davelength.net/van/exhaust.jpg



Engine work on this van will never be any easier than it is now :D
http://www.davelength.net/van/stripped2.jpg

Thanks!
Dave

A cam, and exhaust is about all you can safely do with the 5.8 and the stock EFI setup.. that will push the injectors for all they're worth and really wake it up. The Crane 444232 works awesome with this motor but it may be hard to get now that Crane is temporarally out of business.. Summit still has it listed though. There are other cams with similar specs you could use but be sure it has at least 114 deg LSA to keep the computer happy. The only intake made specifically for a truck motor is the Edelbrock truck Performer but it's a lot taller than the stock intakes so it probably won't fit in a van. You could use the regular Performer but changing the heads and intake will put engine breathing capacity well beyond what the computer can handle anyway so I don't recommend it. The mess of plumbing on top of the engine is not the EGR it's the Thermactor(air injection) system. If you trace it all you'll see the valves on top are connected to the tube connecting the heads at the back of the motor and the air pump. All this can be deleted, plug the holes in the heads with 5/8 x 1" coarse bolts with copper washers, remove or gut the air pump, and remove the vacuum lines between the TAB and TAD solenoids and the diverter valves around the motor. But leave the solenoids on the motor and electrically connected to prevent codes, they are located over by the coil...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/...ddc0af6b13.jpg

Also, now might be the time to work on any extra ports for remote coolers or remote oil filters for the engine, transmission, coolant, or bigger oil pans. Also wiring for sensors for temperature, pressure,... and other gauges. Just an idea.

Awesome, thanks for the info Conanski! So if I follow the proper proceedures, I can delete both the air injection system and the egr without causing any problems, including upsetting the PCM? That would certainly clean things up and make getting a new exhaust system much easier. If I am sticking with the stock heads for now, would shorty headers be adequate? I have no idea if I would have the room to
route some long-tube headers.

Just out of curiosity (and for the future build), what would need to be changed about the EFI to accommodate additional modifications? Computer and components from a different vehicle, or a stand-alone system?

Good idea f250ssd, now would be the time to upgrade the transmission cooler (with a fan) and add some additional gauges.

Thanks!
Dave

Deleting the air injection is no problem but removing the EGR may set codes and it' won't really gain you any performance or clean up the engine bay so you may as well leave it.
Shorty headers are certainly better than the stock manifolds, but upgrade the Y pipe too for best performance gains.
You will need a mass air conversion for aditional performance, a mass air truck computer and meter along with the engine wiring harness could be salvaged from a junkyard vehicle, there were more of these on pickups towards the mid '90's but the system started appearing as early as '92.

Ok, now I see what you were talking about. I was still thinking that the tubing was EGR related, but it is in fact part of the air injection system. Good to know. I placed an order for the cam, so we'll see what happens. I'll put the MAF conversion parts on my list for engine #2.

Thanks!
Dave

Well the cam showed up today, so Summit must actually stocks this part. Now my next dilemma is how to proceed with the headers. Do I go with some long tube out-of-the-box ones? I assume an F350 4wd would be the closest match, though that may not mean much. I guess if I purchase from a place that allows returns, it would be worth trying. I did find a manufacturer that makes custom headers which is a couple of hours away, though having the chassis towed there just for headers seems like a hassle.

Will I regret not doing more to the motor while I have it at this point? Probably. Any idea how much difference the cam + long tube headers + full exhaust will make over the stock setup? MAF system conversion, injectors and head work (or new heads) would be the next logical performance step? Would anything else be needed?

Thanks!
Dave

Pickups with a solid front axle have clearance problems around the front driveshaft and pumpkin with longtubes designed for a TTB pickup. If you can source a set for an earlier truck with a solid axle then you may have better luck but there's still no guarantee, but if you have access to somebody that's decent with a wire feed welder problems can be solved.

The cam and exhaust will really wake this motor up, loads more TQ from idle up and it'll just keep pulling way past where the stock motor goes flat. This will stretch the stock injectors for all they're worth.. close to 300hp. Once you get better heads and intake on there bigger injectors are required and then you're not only into a MAF conversion but a tuner as well. I have been playing with 24lb injectors on my truck recently and even with a tuner making them cooperate isn't trivial, it's going to take a bunch of experimentation before I get it sorted out.

Ok, good to know. Any idea when Ford stopped using a solid front axle in the trucks? Well, I can search the forums for that info. I am decent with welding, so if I can find something close I think I could work with it.

I am looking for a relatively quick and easy engine build for this version, so I think I will stick with just the cam and exhaust. For the next engine build, I should probably find a beater vehicle to install and tune the engine in. Once the van body is on, almost any engine work becomes a major pain.

Thanks!
Dave

hah i picked up a set of flowtech longtube headers at a local swapmeet for $15... they are made for late 60's early 70's couguars and so on... they bolted right up to my 351w... i will be dropping the motor into my truck this weekend and i guess we'll see if there are any clearance issues... doesnt seem like there will be, but time will tell i guess

Yeah.. bolting headers to the motor is never a problem since all 351 windsors are exactly the same, it's around the driveshaft, frame, and firewall that you'll have clearance problems.

The engine is stripped down to the short block and unfortunately the combustion chambers look dirtier than I had hoped. At this point I am going to take the block and heads to a machine shop for inspection, cleaning and any necessary work. I might as well have them install the new cam while it is there.

http://www.davelength.net/van/es10.jpg


http://www.davelength.net/van/es11.jpg

That looks pretty good actually, there will be more carbon in the rear chambers due to the location of the PVC line so what you got there is pretty common, but there's no gunk inside the motor so it had regular oil changes at least and that means the crank should be fine.

Ok, good to know. There did not seem to be any sludge in the engine, though I was surprised at the amount of solid material at the tops of the cylinders and on the pistons. Part of me just wants to clean it up, swap the cam and put it back together, but I guess having everything checked would still be the sensible thing. It did just occur to me, however, that I don't actually have to put the van body back on to start and test the engine. As a matter of fact, it will be much easier to address any issues if it is just the chassis.

Here are a few more pictures of the guts:
http://www.davelength.net/van/es7.jpg

http://www.davelength.net/van/es9.jpg

Thanks!
Dave

That motor doesn't have a lot of miles on it, if the bottom end hasn't been stripped yet I'd suggest you don't and just clean up the combustion chambers and pistons with a wire wheel and put it back together.. unless your plan was to do a complete rebuild with new bearings and machine work anyway.

I was not planning on rebuilding this engine if I did not have to. I just wanted to make sure that there were no obvious issues, replace the cam and put it back together. Would I just clean up the pistons and tops of the cylinders with the pistons still in the block? Is the cam easy enough to replace with the pistons still in the block? By this I just mean is it easy enough to guide it out and back in without damaging the cam bearings? Obviously there is only limited room to handle the cam with the rods still connected to the crank.

As far as head gaskets, do I just measure the bore diameter and thickness of the old gaskets to determine which ones I need? Any opinion on what type of head gasket to use? I have always liked the multi-layer metal ones on motorcycles, but I don't know if it is better to stick with the original style for this application.

Thank you again for all the assistance, it is greatly appreciated!
Dave

Yeah just bring a piston to TDC and remove the heavy carbon with a small wire wheel, cover the lifter valley and coolant ports in the deck suface to keep the dirt out of there. The pistons don't have to be polished or anything just remove most of the buildup and wipe any loose debris out of the cylinder with the piston lowered.

The rotating assembly does not interfere with the cam at all so none of that needs to be moved. The lifters and timing set have to be removed of course and with the thrust plate off the cam will slide out but you'll have to rotate it several times for the cam lobes to clear the bearings. Put a long bolt in the end of the cam for leverage and just take your time it will come out rather easily.

Most head gaskets are either 4.060" or 4.100" and range between 0.035 and 0.045" thickness when compressed. Summit has quite a range of head gaskets but something around 0.040" thickness from a major manufacturer like FelPro or Ford will do, 4.100" bore is most common but don't go any larger than this you're just throwing away compression for no reason. Like anything a little more $$ gets you a better product, I like the steel core gaskets too.

After a good cleaning and a fresh coat of Ford blue, the engine is looking much more respectable. The new cam and lifters are in, as are the new timing gears and chain. The engine gods required a sacrifice, so drove one of the new freeze plugs in too far :(

I am now just waiting on the parts to replace the valve stem seals and a new freeze plug. I also need to pick up a tap/die so I can chase the head bolt threads.

http://www.davelength.net/van/es15.jpg

http://www.davelength.net/van/es17.jpg

Dave

I started cleaning up the heads today, and decided to work on the exhaust ports a bit. Nothing extreme, just cleaning up the seams and removing the air injection lumps. Hopefully this is fine while using the stock EFI.

http://www.davelength.net/van/headwork.jpg


The valve seats look pretty nice as do the intake valves, though the exhaust valves look questionable to me. Should I look into having the valves done, or will this be fine? I did not want to get too aggressive with the cleaning, so I did not take a wire wheel to any seat surface. Would that actually be a good idea to do? I know a valve job would be sensible, but I would like to avoid the additional cost if it does not seem necessary.

http://www.davelength.net/van/valve.jpg

Thanks!
Dave

Get yourself some valve lapping compound that should clean up the exhaust seats.

I lapped the valves and they came out well, so I buttoned up the heads and installed them back on the engine. I also came across a set of Flowtech longtube headers for 80's/90's 351 Ford trucks and Broncos for $100, so I picked them up. I figured I have to start somewhere. I loosely hung them on the block and put the engine at approximately where it sits on the frame and there seems to be plenty of room around them. I am having to guess at approximate front driveshaft angle since the transmission and transfer case are not installed, but it does not seem like there will be any interference there as well. So far, it looks like I might get lucky on the fitment! Once I know for sure (and do any modifying if needed), I'll get an egr port welded on and send these out for ceramic coating.

http://www.davelength.net/van/completed_head.jpg

http://www.davelength.net/van/heads_installed.jpg

http://www.davelength.net/van/header1.jpg

http://www.davelength.net/van/header2.jpg

http://www.davelength.net/van/header3.jpg

http://www.davelength.net/van/header4.jpg

Cheers to a productive weekend! :-drink
Dave

Now is the time to do a dry fit for the EGR tube, lay the intake on there and mark where the tube touches the header. The tube has a flex joint in the middle so it will give you some room to work with.

Good idea, thanks!
I am inching my way closer to having the engine and chassis complete, though something occurred to me: how am I going to start the engine with the body off? I was planning on hooking up the radiator, fans, etc, but a good portion of the wiring harness is in the van body, including the PCM. I saved some of the wiring from the donor van, though I don't think I kept enough to hook everything up. Any thoughts? Am I just going to have to go get the rest of the wiring harness at a junkyard? I can put the body back on, though I would prefer to have the engine exposed for any issues that may arise. Working on the engine with the body on is no joy.

The engine after many hours this weekend:
http://www.davelength.net/van/engine_close.jpg

Good job... They sure like nice all cleaned up and before all the wiring and tubing gets strung everywhere. I don't know what to say about the harness.. but the motor needs everything hooked up to run right so you haven't got a lot of choices.

Thanks!
New plan. The main reason that I wanted to start the engine with the body off was I was expecting to have to change the exhaust (stock manifolds for freshly coated headers) after the cam break-in. I found a local ceramic coating place that stated that their coating will not require any special break-in, so that simplifies things greatly. My new plan is to put the rest of the chassis back together (transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, etc.) and then have it towed to the exhaust shop, where they can install the EGR port and build the rest of the exhaust system. The headers will then be removed, coated and reinstalled. I can then drop the body on the chassis and (hopefully!) wrap this project up.

Should I consider installing a new (performance) torque converter before I put the transmission (e4od) in? The transmission was rebuilt about 5k ago and a new stock TC was installed at that time. Eventually I will have the transmission rebuilt to handle more abuse, but I am not sure if it is worth throwing a different TC in for now.

Also, am I going to have catalytic converter issues if the air injection system is not present? I am planning on having the exhaust shop put one in, but how important was the AIS?

Thanks!
Dave